Dianthus plant named ‘Paint the Town Red’

ABSTRACT

A new and unique plant cultivar of perennial carnation or pinks, Dianthus plant named ‘Paint the Town Red’ with numerous, single, lightly-spicy fragrant flowers producing a full rounded face. Each flower has five overlapping petals that are deep magenta-red colored without darker red bars in the center. Petals have moderately coarse dentate apices. Flowering season is strong for four weeks beginning in late spring and continues to mid-fall. The habit is compact and dense with glaucous blue-green foliage.

Botanical denomination: Dianthus hybrid.

Cultivar designation: ‘Paint the Town Red’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES UNDER 37 CFR 1.77(B)(6)

The first non-enabling disclosure of the claimed plant was made byWalters Gardens, Inc. on Dec. 1, 2019 in the form of a website briefdescription and photograph followed by a short description andphotograph in the “Walters Gardens 20-21 Catalog” by Walters Gardens,Inc. The first sales of the claimed plant was on Jun. 29, 2020 byWalters Gardens, Inc. to Walla Walla Nursery Co. Walters Gardens, Inc.obtained the new plant and information about the new plant directly fromthe inventor. No plants of Dianthus ‘Paint the Town Red’ have been sold,in this country or anywhere in the world, nor has any disclosure of thenew plant been made, more than one year prior to the filing date of thisapplication, and such sale or disclosure within one year was eitherderived directly or indirectly from the inventor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the new and distinct cultivar ofcarnation or pinks from the genus Dianthus and given the cultivar name‘Paint the Town Red’. The new plant was the result of an intentionalcross on Jun. 14, 2012 under the direction of the inventor between ‘NeonStar’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,549 as the female or seed parent and‘Kahori’ (not patented) as the male or pollen parent. The cross washarvested and sown in the fall of 2012. The new hybrid was firstselected from trials at a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich.during the summer of 2014 as a single seedling clone and given thebreeder code number 12-94-1 later in the evaluation processes. Dianthus‘Paint the Town Red’ has been asexually propagated at the same nurseryin Zeeland, Mich. since 2014 using traditional shoot tip cuttingprocedures and later sterile shoot-tip tissue culture and found toreproduce plants that are identical and exhibit all the characteristicsof the original plant in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Dianthus ‘Paint the Town Red’ has not been evaluated under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations inenvironment including: growing temperature, available sunlight,nutrients, water, etc. without a change in the genotype of the plant.

The closest comparison plants to the new plant known to the inventorinclude: ‘Paint the Town Magenta’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 29,922, ‘Paint theTown Fuchsia’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 28,636, ‘Kahori’ (not patented) and‘Paint the Town Red’ copending U.S. Plant Patent Application.

‘Paint the Town Magenta’ has a similar habit and foliage but the flowersare slightly smaller and of vibrant magenta-pink. ‘Paint the TownFuchsia’ has similar habit and foliage, but the flowers are slightlysmaller and fuchsia colored with lavender centers. ‘Paint the TownFancy’ has similar habit and foliage and the flowers are morerosy-fuchsia colored with a larger dark red bar. ‘Neon Star’ (in side byside growing conditions of mature plants) has a larger habit and flowersthat are lighter pink with a lighter lavender-pink bar. The male parent,KAHORI®, has smaller habit with more light green foliage and the flowersare more pinkish.

Dianthus ‘Paint the Town Red’ is distinct from its parents and all otherDianthus known to the applicant in the following combined traits:

-   -   1. Single flowers with a five overlapping petals forming a full        rounded face;    -   2. Petals have moderately-coarse dentate apices;    -   3. Petal color is a deep magenta red;    -   4. Numerous flowers per plant on heavily branched upright stems;    -   5. Prolonged flowering period with a strong flush in late spring        and continuing to mid- fall;    -   6. Compact habit and dense, glaucous, blue-green foliage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The photographs of ‘Paint the Town Red’ are of a two-year-old plantgrown in full-sun trial garden in Zeeland, Mich. showing the overallappearance of the plant including the unique traits. The colors are asaccurate as reasonably possible with color reproductions. Some slightvariation of color may occur as a result of lighting quality, intensity,wavelength, direction or reflection.

FIG. 1 shows the habit of the plant in mid-season flowering.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the flowers and buds.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following detailed description of ‘Paint the Town Red’ is based onobservations of two-year-old plants in a full-sun trial garden at anursery in Zeeland, Mich. with supplemental watering, light additions offertilizer and free of other plant growth regulators. All color usage isin accordance with the 2015 edition of The Royal Horticultural ColourChart except where common dictionary terms are used.

-   Botanical classification: Dianthus hybrid;-   Parentage: The female or seed parent is ‘Neon Star’; the male or    pollen parent is KAHORI®;-   Plant habit: Caespitose, herbaceous, evergreen, winter-hardy    perennial; stems and peduncles highly branched, mostly erect stems    to slightly arching; height of foliage about 11.5 cm and about 30.0    cm across; height in flower is about 15.0 cm;    -   -   Root system.—Fine, fibrous; color nearest RHS 155D.        -   Vigor.—Good, spring planted plugs finish in 3.8 liter pots            in seven to eight weeks.-   Foliage:    -   -   Leaf type.—Simple, linear, opposite, decussate, sessile,            glabrous, strongly glaucous both adaxial and abaxial; margin            entire to micro-serrulate; apex narrowly acute; base            truncate, decurrent, clasping; straight; no fragrance            detected.        -   Leaf dimensions.—To about 32.0 mm long and about 3.5 mm wide            near middle, average about 29.0 cm long and 3.2 mm wide.        -   Leaf color.—Young expanding and mature leaves adaxial and            abaxial blend nearest RHS N138B.        -   Venation.—Not pronounced; obscurely pinnate, coloration same            as that of leaf top and bottom.-   Stems: About 100 per plant; upright; cylindrical, hollow; glabrous;    glaucous; branching in upper nodes;    -   -   Stem size.—About 10.0 cm long to peduncle and about 2.5 mm            wide at base.        -   Stem color.—Between RHS N187B and RHS N187C.        -   Branching.—Numerous; typically alternate from lower nodes;            about 12 per main stem and about 200 per plant in late            spring peak; branch size average about 3.5 cm long and 1.0            mm diameter at time of initial flowering.        -   Nodes.—About 4.0 mm across; between RHS N187B and RHS N187C.        -   Internodes.—About 10 to 12 per stem before peduncle; average            about 1.2 cm apart depending on growing temperature, shorter            in cooler conditions.        -   Inflorescence.—Flowering in the upper 4.5 cm and to about            7.2 cm across; with an average of 2.4 flowers per            inflorescence.        -   Flower bud.—Slowly opening; glabrous; glaucous; with calyx            still closed: cylindrical with attenuate base and rounded            apex; about 23.0 mm long and 4.0 mm across; without            extrusion of style.        -   Flower bud color.—With petals extended beyond calyx petal            portion nearest RHS 61A; calyx nearest RHS 138A.-   Flower:    -   -   Type.—Terminal, cymose; perfect; salverform; actinomophic;            single.        -   Attitude.—Upright to slightly outwardly around perimeter of            plant.        -   Dimension.—About 2.6 cm across and extending about 2.8 cm            above base of calyx tube and 4.5 mm wide at apex of calyx.        -   Flowers per stem.—Typically 2 to 4, average 2.4.        -   Pedicel.—Glaucous, glabrous, cylindrical, stiff; primarily            upright; short.        -   Pedicel size.—To about 20.0 mm long and about 1.5 mm            diameter.        -   Pedicel color.—Between RHS 146D and RHS 137D.        -   Flower period.—Beginning mid-May with a strong flush for            about four weeks and continuing more sparsely through            mid-fall.        -   Flower fragrance.—Lightly spicy.        -   Flower lasting quality.—Individually about seven to ten days            on or cut from plant.        -   Corolla profile.—Lower part flat; upper portion flat to            slightly convex.        -   Petals.—Five; glabrous adaxial and abaxial except basal 5.0            mm of adaxial limb puberulent; consisting of a rounded limb            and a claw; limb trapezoidal and limb and claw combined are            flabellate; limb apex and margin moderately-coarse dentate            with many incisions or teeth to about 2.0 mm long and 2.0 mm            wide at base; limb base attenuate toward claw; claw base            attenuate; bent outwardly at limb base creating a flat            rounded face; persistent; darker eye band or spots.        -   Petal dimensions.—Limb to about 10.0 mm long and 14.0 mm            wide; claw about 18.0 mm long and 4.5 mm wide tapering to            attenuate base of about 1.0 mm across; whole petal to about            28.0 mm long, average about 27.0 mm long.        -   Petal color.—Young adaxial claw base nearest RHS NN155B and            distally nearest RHS 145D, young adaxial limb between RHS            61A and RHS N66A without darker bar near eye; young abaxial            claw nearest RHS 145D in distal 13 mm, in basal 2.0 mm            portion between RHS 61B and RHS 61C, young abaxial limb            nearest RHS 61A; mature adaxial claw between RHS 145D and            RHS NN 155D in proximal 12 mm and nearest RHS 70C in distal            3 mm transitioning to limb, mature adaxial limb nearest RHS            61A; mature abaxial claw nearest RHS 145D in proximal 13 mm            and distal 2 mm nearest RHS 61B, mature abaxial limb nearest            RHS 60B.        -   Calyx.—Tubular; to about 16.0 mm long and 5.0 mm diameter            near center.        -   Sepals.—Five; linear; acute apex and fused in basal 12.0 mm            forming five-toothed calyx tube; glabrous adaxial and            abaxial; glaucous abaxial; margins entire to            micro-ciliolate.        -   Sepal size.—Individually about 16.0 mm long and to about 3.0            mm across at fusion.        -   Sepal color.—Adaxial nearest RHS 146D; abaxial nearest RHS            138A.        -   Peduncle.—Glabrous; glaucous; hollow, cylindrical; stiff;            about 4.5 cm long and about 1.0 mm diameter at base;            attitude mostly upright to slightly arching.        -   Peduncle color.—Variable, nearest RHS 137D and RHS 146D.        -   Epicalyx.—Two pairs subtending each flower; both pairs            adpressed; opposite, glaucous, glabrous; sessile, margin            entire; ovate; inner pair narrowly acute apex and truncate            base, 9.0 mm long and about 3.5 mm across near middle; outer            pair with very short narrowly acute apex, truncate clasping            base, about 9.0 mm long and about 4.5 mm wide.        -   Epicalyx color.—Both pairs variable; adaxial and abaxial            with translucent 1.0 mm wide margin nearest RHS 155A and            remaining middle to apex nearest RHS 137B; no anthocyanin            pigment noted.        -   Androecium.—Up to 10; not fully developed. Filaments:            straight to about 7 mm long and 0.1 mm diameter, average 5            mm long and 0.1 mm diameter; color nearest RHS NN155A.            Anther: rudimentary or not observed; oblong; basifixed;            about 0.5 mm long and 0.2 mm diameter; color nearest RHS            160C. Pollen: not observed.        -   Gynoecium.—Single; to about 29.0 mm long. Style: bifurcate            just above ovary; shoulder absent; to 20.0 mm long and 1.0            mm across; color on young flower nearest RHS NN155D, mature            flower proximally nearest RHS NN155D and distally between            RHS 187C and RHS 61A, hairs proximally nearest RHS 61A and            distally nearest RHS 187C. Stigma: slightly flattened            abaxial to adaxial; puberulent along adaxial surface; about            1.0 mm long and 0.7 mm wide; color nearest RHS 187C. Ovary:            superior; cylindrical; rounded apex and truncate to slightly            tapering base; smooth, lustrous; about 9.0 mm long and 4.0            mm diameter; color on young flower nearest RHS 150C, mature            distally nearest RHS 144A and proximally nearest RHS 144B.-   Fruit and seed: Not observed;-   Disease resistance: The new plant is resistance to center die out    from fungus or high temperatures. The plant grows best with adequate    moisture and well-drained soil, but is able to tolerate some drought    once established. Hardiness at least from USDA zone 4 through zone    9.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Dianthus plant named ‘Paint theTown Red’ essentially as herein described and illustrated.